Alpharetta, GA real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Alpharetta is one of several cities packed into north Fulton County. Your mail can say Alpharetta while the house actually sits in Milton, Johns Creek, Roswell or unincorporated Fulton. Which city you are really in changes your second tax bill, your city homestead exemption and which city office pulls your permit.
Alpharetta neighborhoods buyers ask about
Every one prices differently. Ask your agent for the latest sales in the ones you like.
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Buying a home in Alpharetta: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in Georgia are on the Georgia page. These are the Alpharetta details that trip people up.
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Check the city line before you trust the ZIP. The City of Alpharetta bills and collects its own property tax on top of Fulton County's. If the house turns out to be in Milton or Johns Creek you get that city's bill and that city's rules instead. Pull the county city-limits map first.
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Alpharetta's own homestead exemption is large. The City of Alpharetta gives a basic homestead of $45,000 off the assessed value, which does not apply to the bond debt part of the bill. It also has a floating exemption capping taxable value growth at the lower of 3% or CPI, a senior basic exemption at 65 and a full-value senior exemption at 70 with an income test.
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Overlay zoning stacks on top of the base zoning. Alpharetta has a Downtown Overlay, a North Point Overlay and a Crabapple Overlay. Inside one, the overlay rules apply in addition to the regular zoning district, which changes what you can build, how it has to look and how it has to face the street.
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The city's flood map is bigger than FEMA's. Alpharetta runs its own floodplain map service showing a city 100-year floodplain plus a separate future floodplain layer on top of FEMA's zones. A lot can be clear on FEMA's map and still sit in a city floodplain for building purposes.
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Fulton County, not the city, handles your water. Fulton County Water Services covers water and sewer in Alpharetta. Some lots have no sewer at all, and owners there have to petition the county to extend the line. On a septic home, ask the county board of health for the permit and inspection file before you close.
Selling a home in Alpharetta
Two tax bills have to clear, not one.
Fulton's tax commissioner bills county and school taxes. The City of Alpharetta bills city taxes itself, with its own December due date. Both get settled at closing.
Your senior exemption was filed at City Hall and does not follow the house.
Alpharetta senior exemption applications are filed with the city, while basic homestead and county senior exemptions go to Fulton. Tell your buyer both exist, or their first bill will surprise them.
Downtown and older buildings get extra review.
The city keeps a map layer of contributing historic buildings and has a Historic Preservation Commission. If the property is on that list or inside the Downtown Overlay, outside changes can need extra city review.
Alpharetta real estate questions
Am I in the city or the county, and why does it matter?
Fulton County sends one bill covering county taxes and county schools. If the house is inside Alpharetta city limits, the city sends a second bill of its own. Milton, Johns Creek and Roswell send theirs instead. An Alpharetta mailing address does not prove you are in the city.
What homestead exemption does Alpharetta give on top of the county one?
Per the City of Alpharetta 2026 property tax guide, the city gives its own basic homestead of $45,000 off the assessed value, which does not apply to the bond debt levy. It also has a floating exemption capping taxable value growth at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower, plus senior exemptions at 65 and at 70.
Who sends my water bill, and how do I know if the house is on septic?
Fulton County Water Services handles water and sewer in Alpharetta. The city does not. Some lots have no sewer, and owners there have to petition the county to extend the line. For a septic home, ask the county board of health for the permit and inspection file.
FEMA says I am clear. Why did the city still flag a floodplain?
Alpharetta keeps its own flood layers, including a city 100-year floodplain and a future floodplain that models later conditions. Both sit beside the FEMA zones on the city's map, so a lot can be outside FEMA's line and still fall inside a city floodplain when you go to build.
What is an overlay district and does it affect my house?
It is a second set of rules layered on top of your base zoning. Alpharetta has them downtown, at North Point and in Crabapple. Inside one, the overlay controls things like building form, materials and how the front of the house meets the street, in addition to the normal zoning.
Buying or selling in Alpharetta? Talk to a local agent.
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